Automatic stock-compensating device for card-feeders.



PATENTED JULYSl, 1906.

- G. GEB. AUTOMATIC STOCK GOMPENSAI'ING- DEVICE FOR CARD FEEDERS.

APPLICATION TILED APB.21,1902.

'WTNEISSEE:

co., WIQHINFTON, n. c.

wimp STATES- GEORGE GEB, oFrnovmENoE, RHODE ISL ND; AUTOMATIC sToCK-coMPE sATme. DEVICE FoR'cARD- EEDE BsQ,

No. 827,359. I

Specification of Letters Pat ent. I r A plication filed April 21,1902. Serial Nd. 103,901.

To all whom it may concern: l

Be it'known that I, GEORGE GEB, of Provi- 'dence, in the county. of Providence and State v of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Stock-Compensating Devices for Oard-Feed-' ers, of which the following is a specification.

The objectof thepresent invention is to provide an improved form of means for keep-. lng uniform'the amount of stock carried over to the scale-pan by the spike-apron in a cardfeeder notwithstandin amount of stock in the eed-box.

In a prior. patent, No. 667,213, granted to me February 5, 1901, a form of means is shownfor accomplishing this object, wherein p a board pivotally mounted between the sides of the feed-box is power-connected through frictional means constantly tending to im-- pel it upward and toward the spike-apron, so that when the stock runs low in the feed-box the pressure supplied by'the board against thestock thrown down by the evening-comb will compensate for the lessening of amount of stockin the box and keep uniform the quantity carried over bythe spikeapron.

By the present invention I propose to so arrange the pressure-board as tohave it'dis- I connected from any driving means when its services-are not re uired i. 6., when the feed-box is well supp ied with stockand to have it automatically connect itself: with .1 driving means when the stock runs so low as to require pressing against the spike-apron arrangement allowsfor perfect'adjustment at the upper partof the box. My present 1 to suit varying conditionsand obviates any 'defective action due to displacement of the board by a downward stroke of the evenippcomb when the feeder is running low. inventionprovides a form of device which when once adjusted to thework in hand rej quires'no attention, but can be thoroughly relied upon to perform its functions automaticallyand insure accurate weighingin the scale-pan Whatever may be the quantity of stock in the feed-box.

' To thisend the invention consists in certain-novelfeatures of construction and com- :which arereeitedin the appended-claims and a preferred form ofembodiment of which isspecifically-described hereinafter, and illusi binations of parts, the essential elements of variations in the 'trated in detail in the accompanying drawin s, whereof atented Ji11y 1996? i I comb and my improved compensating device I l positioned as when in action, broken lines indlcating its retracted position.

scale, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. I 1

Thereference-lette'rs a and a designate the sides of the feed-box of. a card-feeder of the Bramwell t e, c the spike-apron, and b. the evening-com short distance below the latter Ilocate a At a'point a comparatively l ressure-board d, which extends across the v ox throughout practically the full width thereof and is pivotally suspendedtherein.

from the u per edge, sothatit can swing to-. ward and. cm the spike-apron. The board 'is pivoted a sufficient distance from the latter to allow for formin therewith atrough; I or pocket of considerab e size when its lower edge approaches the a ron. The pivoting of the board is effected V y journaling a pair of studs or short shafts e e in the sides of the box, said studs being formed 7 on their: inner ends with radially-projecting holderse for J the board, grooved to receive theend edges 85 thereof and equipped with clamping devices for securing the board at the desiredra dial adjustment.

The shaftor stud e protrudes-somedis tance outside the box and carries affixed to it a split conical shell f, and there is. loosely.

for frictional engagement with said shell, f

these two parts constituting a clutch for con-- Any sultable materialsmay be employed for the clutch members; but I prefer to use hard cause of elimination of wear. in frictional con tact of'thesematerials. .Theblock iscom ounded with .a sprocket-wheel h, and a chain runs therefrom. to a sprocket-wheel -h geared. to a driven shaft of the machine, preferably'the upper spike-a ron shaft. An: an-

gular arm '5, secured tot e stud 6, serves to f- 3 limit the turning of the latter'by encountering a stop lug i ontheside of the ;machine,

lgure 1 shows the general outline of a card-feeder with its spike-apron and evening mounted on the same shaft a conical block g f side walls of the feed-box.

thus preventing the lower edge of the board approaching too close. to the spike-apron.

The board and its studs are laterally movable a suflicient extent toprovide for the proper operation'of the clutch, said studs being slidable in theirbearings and clearance being allowed between the arms 6 and the screw-threaded and engaged with a nut j, having a flanged base 7' bearing against the outer side of the feed-box and confined there against by afianged collar 7c, which is bolted receiving a set-screw m to engage the nut j to the boX and formed with a radial boss 1c,

and secure it at different adjustments. With said nutfixed inposition it will beseen that turning of the stud or shaft will effect movement thereof in the direction of its length,

- which movement is accompanied by correspondin g movement of the broad and the stud e, and hence will. effect a closing of the clutch on the latter. I The parts are-soiadjustcd that when the board extends toward the back of the feed-boxand away from the spike-apron the clutch is-open; b ut when free to gravi-- -tatefrom such a position the Weight of: the

.- boardis sufficient to turn the studs and'draw the cone-shell.- into frictional engagement with the cone-block. :Hence whenever the board-is unsupported in its rearwardly ex- :tending position it instantly connects itself with power and is pressed toward the spikeapron.

" When the feed-box is well supplied with 1 stock, theboard is constrained to assume and -ma1nta1n the rearwardosition above mentioned, and so longas t is condition obtains th'eboard lies idle, beingdisconnected from v its'driving means and its weight'of itself not having any'appreciable effect to press stock .against' the spike-apron. The moment,

however, that the stock-becomes so low in the-boxasto-no longer sustain the board in its rearward position the board drops, and

the consequent turning of the. stud e in the fixed nut produces longitudinal movement of said stud, the board, and the stud e,- so

-that the conical shell on the latter is closed upon the rotating conical block, and the board is then frictionally impelled toward the :apron and caused to assume a position where it inclines toward the latter and provides a "pocket to hold the stockthrown back by the "evening-comb. Thus the u per part of thefeed-box were still filled, and uniformity indelivering. to the scalepan is assured.

apron is suppliedwith stoc (as though the seen that as the stock lessens in the feed-box fthepressureof the board increases, for the farther forward the-board moves the tighterthe clutch closes, :and while the pressure of 'theboard a ainst the stock-increases gradu- *ally'as the card. moves toward the spike: .a'pron yet thepressure of the stockiagainst- The stud e is It will be the spike-apron remains constant irrespective of the volume of stock between the spikeapron and the board that is to say, while the pressure of the board against the stock increases gradually as the board moves toward the apron, yet a diminution in the volume of stock and the increase in pressure of the board against. the stock do not vary the pressure of the stock against the apron in the plane of contact.

' It will be seen that the construction here shown and described is wellcalculated to thoroughly fulfil .all the objects prim'arily stated; but it is to be understood that the invention is capable of embodiment otherwise than as here" shown. i It will be particularlynoted that: the employment of the cone-clutch and. the means of closing itby forward movement of the board entirely obviates any defective action due to a retreat of the board upon a .downward stroke of the evening-comb, :allowing the accumulation of stock above the board'to fall through and the function of theboard to be defeated, as happens when weights are relied upon to supply the pressure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is as follows:

' 1. In a card-feeder the combination with the spike-apron, of a stock-sustaining-board mounted to swing toward and from the spikeapron, power connections for impelling the board toward the latter, andmeans 'for regulating the operation of-said connections'by movement of the board, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a: card-feeder the combination with the spike-apron, of a pendent stock-sustaining board movable toward-and fromwthe splke-apron, power connections =forimpelling the boardtoward the latter, and means for controlling the operativeness of such connections by the position of the board.

" clutch for impelling saidboard toward the latter, and means for opening and closing the clutch by movement of the board, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a card-feeder the combination-with the spike-apron, of a board pivotally mounted in the feed-box so as to bemovablc toward and from the spike-apron, apower-connected IIO ' ed in the feed-box so as to be movab e toward and from the spike-apron; a cone-clutch, one member of which is affixed to a journal of the board, and the other member of which is loose therein; driving connections to said loose member; and means for forcing the two clutch members together by the movement;

of the board toward the spike-apron.

7. ha card-feedenthe combination of a stock-sustaining board journaled in the feedbox; screw-threads on one of its journals; a stationary nut with whichsaid screw-threads are engaged; a conical clutch member affixed to the other journal; a coacting clutch member loosely mounted on the latter; and power ber, substantially as and for the purpose de-' splke-apron, and automatic means for impelling it. toward the latter with increasing pressure as the stock decreases in volume,

substantially as and for the purpose described. 9. In a card-feeder, the combination with the spike-apron, of a pendent stock-sustaining board movable toward and. from the it approaches the spike-apron,

spike-apron, and power connections including a rotating shaft for impelling said board toward the apron with increasing pressure as as and for the purpose described.

10. A card feeder comprisin a spikeapron, a stock-pressure board, and means for automatically moving said board with a consubstantially stantly-increasing pressure toward the apron to press'the stock against the apron with a consequent constant degree of ressure in the plane of contact irrespective o the volume of stock between the board and the spike-apron.

11. A card-feeder comprising a spikeapron and means for engaging'the stock with a constantly-increasing pressure and thereby pressing the stock against the spike-apron with a constant pressure as the stock decreases in volume.

- 12. A card feeder comprising a spikeapron, a pivoted stock-sustaining board having its free end movable toward and from the splke-apron, and automatic means for gradually increasing the pressure of the board on the stock as the endof the board approaches said spike-apron.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 14th day of April, A. D. 1902.

GEORGE GEB.

Witnesses JAMES DONAHUE, PATRICK PUROELL. 

